Packing cube questions

[OMGitsnotgood]

I see packing cubes recommended on MN a lot. We’re planning a multi-centre trip for which I think packing cubes could be really helpful as we won’t want to fully unpack at each stop.

Has anyone tried them and not ‘got on’ with them, if not, why not?

If you love them, what are your top hints and tips for making them work?

And finally, there are so many to choose from. What should we look for when buying them? I’m not sure I want to spend a fortune on them, so good value recommendations would also be appreciated.

Thank you

100% worth it. Had some normal ones which were great but then got some compression ones which were a game changer when trying to keep to a smaller bag.

I wouldn’t travel without them now.

I pack outfits in mine.
DD uses them for types of clothes - socks and ants in one; tops and tees in one etc.

Use them how it suits you!

Thank you all, have now ordered some compression cubes.
DH & I always cross pack a couple of outfits when flying so will be useful for that. Also I occasionally travel alone to meet up with friends so being able to compress a couple of outfits for my carry on bag will be useful in case hold luggage goes missing.

They're not the same as using carrier bags because they store a lot more through compression/the double zip and you can also get smell-proof ones.

Avoid mesh ones.

Avoid ones that don't have a separate compartment for dirty/worn clothes (or have separate ones and label accordingly).

Get ones in different size packs so you can mix and match for different luggage types and trips.

They're not the miracle people make them out to be but they're good.

I went interrailing, and used ikea resealable plastic bags in my rucksack. It made such a difference to have things sorted by category, and you can squeeze the air out of them. On that basis, I’ve now bought a set of compression packing cubes as the next step up. We travel a lot.

Its quite useful to get different colours for different people if you're sharing cases. Then you can easily pull out your cubes. We use them all the time for holiday.

I've used plastic bags for years, definitely a convert to packing cubes as zips are better than drawstrings every time

I find then helpful and use them in two ways

for work trips where I need decent, planned outfits I put one outfit in each cube along with underwear, accessories and shoes. I do similar for multi location trips but rather than complete outfits I split more along city/beach smart/casual hot/cold lines.

for a long, one location holiday I split by types: bikinis & kaftans; dresses; day tops; evening tops etc.

Id never put clothes in plastic bags, you’d always get a slightly weird smell I’d imagine and definitely no good for dirty clothes.

They're not the miracle people make them out to be but they're good

I think it depends entirely on your style of travel. As a long haul solo backpacker who only stays 2 or 3 nights in each spot, they really are a miracle. When the alternative is rummaging through a backpack for each thing you need (and the rising panic when you can't seem to find it) and everything ending up massively creased, they transform packing and unpacking.

For my last week-long dual city break by budget airline, they allowed me to fit a week's worth of mixed weather clothing and necessities into a cabin sized bag.

For my trip to see the relatives in Australia, where I was staying in one place, I didn't really need them, but used a few out of habit. I imagine the same applies if you're having a two week beach hotel holiday where you only need to unpack and re-pack once.

Having been till very recently a frequent flyer for work, compression cubes became a must have for me. One large compression one for dirty things so it all goes in there nicely segregated, and then straight in the machine when home. I also put things like gym kit/ swimming gear in its own cube so I could pull everything out in one go, and my travelling home outfit (for long haul) in its own so I could plonk it in my work backpack to change at the airport and ensure that my dirty bra etc isn't on view at security.
On one occasion when my suitcase zip broke, I was very glad of the use of packing cubes as the internal straps of the bag kept the cubes in and it appeared on the baggage claim with everything intact